School Lunch Debt Cancellation Act of 2025
S. 993119th Congress

School Lunch Debt Cancellation Act of 2025

Introduced in the SenateSen. John Fetterman (D-PA)20 sections · 2 min read
Version: is · Apr 20, 2026

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the School Lunch Debt Cancellation Act of 2025.

(a) In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall cancel and eliminate all debts owed by households as of the date of enactment of this Act for school meals under—

(1) the school lunch program established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), including through community eligibility under section 11(a)(1)(F) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1)(F)); and

(2) the school breakfast program under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773).

(b) Payment of cancelled debt

The Secretary of Agriculture shall—

(1) use the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to pay the amount of debt cancelled under subsection (a) to each local educational authority to which the debt is owed by the applicable households; and

(2) provide confirmation of the cancelled debt to each applicable household.

(c) Cancellation authority

Section 7 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1756) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(e) School meal debt cancellation authority

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary—

(1) may cancel and eliminate all debts owed by households for school meals under the school lunch program under this Act and the school breakfast program under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773); and

(2) shall—

(A) use the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to pay the amount of debt cancelled under paragraph (1) to each local educational authority to which the debt is owed by the applicable households; and

(B) provide confirmation of the cancelled debt to each applicable household.

(a) Commodity supplemental food program

Section 4(a) of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; Public Law 93–86) is amended, in the first sentence—

(1) by striking 2023 and inserting 2030; and

(2) by inserting and funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation after Treasury.

(b) Emergency food assistance program

Section 204 of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 7508) is amended—

(1) in subsection (b), by striking the funds and all that follows through the States and inserting any funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation used to carry out this Act; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

(c) Commodity Credit Corporation funds

In addition to any other funds made available, of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary may use such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act.

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